International Waters

International Waters is a pop culture comedy quiz show where land laws do not apply. Join host Dave Holmes and competing teams of world-famous comedians from the US and UK in a hilarious and lively test of pop culture knowledge (and the ability to make up baloney when that knowledge fails). It's part panel show, part trivia quiz and all laughs. It's also a little embarrassed it wrote that last sentence.

The U.K. team for this month’s episode of International Waters is composed of Helen Zaltzman and Michael Smiley. Helen Zaltzman hosts an award-winning podcast with Olly Mann called Answer Me This! It’s a funny and insightful show that is definitely worth your time. She is also a writer and maker of things which are available for your perusal at helenzatlzman.com. Michael Smiley is a stand up comedian and award-winning actor. Some may recognize him as Tyres O’Flaherty from the geek-friendly sitcom Spaced. His role as Gal in the Ben Wheatley film Kill List garnered him the award for Best Supporting Actor from the 2011 British Independent Film Awards and should not be missed. It’s twisted and graphic, but man, is it good. The common thread here is that they are both lovely people. Not to mention funny.

International Waters: Helen, you’re a writer and podcaster, what comes more naturally to you: writing or talking?

Helen Zaltzman: Well, talking takes much less time, so I’d say that.

IW: How often do you hear back about the advice you give to listeners who write in?

HZ: Oh, they’re quite vocal. Some of them are quite grateful, I think others are a little bit hurt. But we’ve probably saved many lives in our podcasting career.

IW: Do you have a particularly memorable bit of feedback?

HZ: We had this 17-year-old guy who wrote to us a few years ago and said, “I’m thinking of having an affair with my 43 year old neighbor who’s my mum’s friend. She sent me some sexy texts so I know she’s up for it”. We said, “She’s your neighbor and she’s married as well. Don’t shit where you eat, basically. And she’s your mum’s friend so they might talk about your sexual performance. Very traumatizing.” He wrote back and said, “Actually I did decide not to do it because she sent me some photos of herself undressed and I decided I didn’t fancy her and also her husband is really frightening.”

Helen Zaltzman, Janet Varney, Michael Smiley and Bryan Safi join special guest A.J. Jacobs and host Jesse Thorn for the pop-culture quiz where land laws don’t apply and the only way to ensure silence in the home is an all-out war on squirrels.

We also discuss a fifty year old British Busta Rhymes, find out what an Omoplata Crossface might be and get to visualise Helen and Michael in a London studio lit only by vintage screensavers.

Thanks to listener Steve Bernard Jr. for this episode’s Superfan questions - if you think you've got what it takes to write a round of International Waters then drop us a line: iw@maximumfun.org and don't be shy, you can like us on Facebook too!

Holly Walsh, Rob Huebel, Sarah Thyre and Steve Hall join special guest Jonathan Coulton and host Jesse Thorn to talk baby punk makeovers and Cockney rhyming slang in another bid to work out which country is best.

If you think you've got what it takes to write a round of International Waters then drop us a line: iw@maximumfun.org and don't be shy, you can like us on Facebook too!

Andy Daly, Erin Gibson, Humphrey Ker and Margaret Cabourn-Smith compete for their nations’ honour in the pop-culture quiz show where land laws do not apply. With special guests Kurt “Explodo” Andersen and the Guardian’s John Crace. Hosted by Jesse Thorn, written by Jordan Morris and produced by Colin Anderson.

If you think you've got what it takes to write a round of International Waters then drop us a line: iw@maximumfun.org and don't be shy, why not like us on Facebook too!

Think you've got what it takes to write a round of International Waters? Pitch us your round – email it to iw@maximumfun.org. Give us the theme and some sample questions, and maybe it'll pop up on the next episode. Or donate to our pledge drive and we'll write it for you.

International Waters is a pop-cultural comedy quiz show where land laws do not apply. Join me (Jesse Thorn) in the lawless waters off the coast of wherever, as a team of comedians from the United States battles one from the United Kingdom for WORLD SUPREMACY.

Our pilot episode features Paul Scheer and Janet Varney representing the US of A in a skirmish with Tom Parry and Josie Long in London, England. Plus an interview with director Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), who was also kind enough to host a bonus round.

For the time being, we're planning on making International Waters a once-a-month event, with the next episode coming during the MaxFunDrive. Our hope is that the drive will generate the capital we need to keep the show running, so if you like our first episode and want to hear more, give generously and tell us you want more IW!